


Aftershock

by Firekitten



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 12:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15119366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: Only hours after Beacon’s fall, humanity struggles to recover. This is a glimpse at four souls’ attempts at dealing with the aftermath of tragedy: a desperate father seeking his family, a weary soldier trying to hold together, a broken fighter coping with injury, and a mournful youth feigning strength.





	Aftershock

Sixteen hours.

That was how long it had been since the last transmission came through from Vale before the whole CCT system shut down. It had taken thirteen of those hours for Taiyang to sneak onto an envoy ship leaving towards the kingdom and work his way through the upper-class district, bypass the various Huntsmen and mechanical barriers so he could head down towards the industrial region where most of the evacuees had been temporarily relocated. It was an overcrowded mess but that was to be expected when trying to cram thousands of people into a third of their normal housing space. Had it just been the residents, it may have been bearable; but many traveled far from their homelands to participate in or see the Vytal Festival in person, exasperating the problem to near critical levels. While the air fleets were doing their best, there were only so many planes built for cross country travel, and there were enough injured or lost that it was going to take days to sort it all out.

Even with three hours of scouring as much of the area as possible, he had yet to run into a familiar face. He had resorted to asking anyone patient enough to listen if they’d seen either of his daughters or wayward brother-in-law. He’d even tried asking for General Ironwood or Weiss Schnee, figuring _someone_ had to be keeping track of where two of the most famous people from Atlas were. Yet all attempts were met with the same response:

“Sorry, haven’t seen any of ‘em.” The man handing out water to a small family said.

Tai sighed. “Thanks anyways.” He squeezed his way back into the street, looking down at the picture of his firstborn morosely. He was turning up so emptied handed, at this point he was starting to think catching actual sunlight would be easier.

“-Ey! Hey old guy!”

He heard the faint shout but mostly ignored it – certainly they didn’t mean him. He pocketed his scroll and squared his shoulders, intending on moving on.

“Wait!” The voice was closer now. “You said Yang, right?!”

That froze him in place before he whirled around, seeing a cotton-candy colored cat faunus hurrying his way. He noted she was barefoot, roller blades tied at their laces and swinging over her shoulder, half the wheels missing on one of them. As she stopped in front of him, he quickly placed why she seemed so familiar and hope blossomed in his heart. “You’re Neon, right? You faced my daughter in the doubles round.”

“Aaah,” She turned her head in sudden embarrassment, probably recalling every inappropriate taunt with startling clarity. “Uh, yep, that was me.”

In another place, at another time, he may had ribbed at her for it – but he had been up a full day and a half, had had no food, was tired, stressed out and really could give less of a fuck. “Have you seen her?”

Her pigtails bounced as she shook her head. “Not since last night, but most of the students and facility are in some old brick warehouse down at the docks. They might know where she is.”

Tai felt so relieved to have a lead, he could have cried. He knew exactly where that warehouse was too. It was generally used for storage but was virtually unused. Back when he was at Beacon, it had been a popular spot for rave parties. He’d attended more than his fair share in his wilder years with his team, the four of them drinking and dancing the night away. Focusing back on the girl in front of him, he placed a hand on her arm, saying sincerely, “I’ll head there then. Thank you.”

Neon offered him a smile. As he hurried down the street, he almost tripped when she called after him, “Good luck old guy!”

It took him more time then he would have liked to get to the lower docks, the throngs of people he had to wade through making it difficult. Yet, as soon as he was there, it was easy to quickly spot the warehouse made of faded red brick, large square windows lining down the sides, few of them still fully intact. The metal overhang doors were wide open, heavy rust clinging to the once white surfaces and staining them an orangish-brown. A few milling students, still in their Beacon uniforms, offered him passing glances as he walked by them and entered the building.

Immediately, Tai was hit by the heavy atmosphere. Hushed voices bounced against one another from various people talking, the soft sounds of someone crying echoing eerily above it all. He walked forward slowly, eyes scanning over the teams as he did.

“Scarlet, have you seen Sun?” A blue-haired teenager – one of the members of team SSSN; Neptune? – barked at his red-haired teammate. When the other just shook his head, he gave a frustrated growl, “Where _is_ that idiot?!”

“Dove and Sky… I mean they’re just…” A teenager was mumbling, grief weighing him more than the armor he wore did. “Russel, what are we gonna do? The fuck are we gonna do?”

Barely a few feet from them was the source of the crying and it was with a heavy heart he recognized them even easier than he had Neon, as Ruby had chattered about Team JNPR almost as much as her own team. The leader, Jaune, had his knees drawn up to his chest and head in his knees, shoulders shaking hard. Two of his teammates, Nora and Ren, were quiet in their comfort on either side of him, but their eyes were red. The unspoken missing fourth needed no explanation to what had happened.

Gods, they were just kids. They weren’t supposed to know pain like this.

Tai swallowed down the sour familiarity he felt as he turned from them, only to see two girls curled up against the wall, fast asleep while one of their male teammates wrapped a blanket over them. He knew one of them was Velvet, her telltale bunny ears that were tucked against the side of her head matching the description of another friend Ruby had told him about.

He was just considering approaching them, when a round of excited yapping drew his attention and his heart hammered hard at the sight of his corgi sprinting towards him, going as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. “Zwei!” He knelt down, the dog taking no time at all to leap into his arms and slobber all over his face.

“Taiyang?”

He looked up at the call, seeing another man approaching him. He set his dog down, rising back to his feet as he took in his old schoolmate. “Bart… your arm…”

Bartholomew smiled, patting the cast that covered the entirety of his left arm up to it’s shoulder. “Ah, nothing a few weeks and some rest won’t fix.” The solemnity took away his smile as he added, “I was certainly luckier than many others.”

Tai fought down the sudden sickness in his stomach, guilt at not having been here clawing at his soul. He took a steadying breath, focusing back on his mission at hand, “Have you seen my girls? Or Qrow? I’ve been looking for hours.”

The nod lit up the hope again like a tentative candle flame, until Bart snuffed it out by saying, “They’re at the pharmaceutical building.”

Tai was pretty sure the ground underneath his feet had tilted, leaving him staggering a bit. He’d passed the facility at least twice, the place having been transformed into an emergency hospital for the many injured, but it had been so packed with people he’d quickly given up trying there. Hadn’t wanted to confront the possibility his loved ones were inside. “As, helpers-?” Bart didn’t reply, but he didn’t need to, his expression doing everything to abolish the weak hope. Tai’s hands were shaking. “Okay. I-I got to- I, I’m sorry, I-”

A hand on his shoulder cut him off, his old friend squeezing slightly. “Don’t worry about it. Just get going.”

“R-Right, right. Thanks.” He pulled back, calling, “Zwei, let’s go!”

The dog barked back, the two of them hurrying back out of the warehouse.

* * *

“Here you go, Ice Princess.”

“Huh?” Weiss looked up, her pale complexion adding extra definition to the dark circles around her eyes. She stared at the cup he was holding out towards her and, after a small measure of hesitance, took it, voicing quietly, “Thank you.”

“Sure.” Qrow slid down the wall to settle next to her. “How you holding up?”

She took a drink first before replying, voice a little less raspy, “I’m fine.”

He knew that was a lie. It had been bad enough when her monkey faunus friend had told them that Blake had hightailed it (and how she’d managed it injured like that was beyond him), but when Yang had practically yelled them out of the room following the news, the heiress had barely been able to hold her cracking composure. So here they were, sitting in the alley between Pharmatech and the machine shop, not really sure where else to go with the people most important to them just beyond the wall behind them.

Qrow sipped on his own water, wishing it was coffee or, better yet, whiskey. But he’d drowned out his flask long ago and coffee was a bit impossible to ask for right now with the whole world having gone to shit overnight. He glanced sideways at the girl, seeing the way her face pinched together, before she schooled the expression again. “I know your dad’s all about appearances and everything, but no one’s looking right now. Well, except me, but I’m pretty good at keeping secrets.”

“I’m. Fine.” Her voice was as tight as was the grip on her cup.

“Sure you are.” He agreed, reaching out to lay an arm across her shoulders. “But, it’s also okay not to be okay every now and again too.” It seemed to take a decade before the rigidity melted out of her, but once it had, she just slumped against his side, the awful, awful hours of loss and pain and grief all releasing at once as she sobbed, entire frame wracking with it.

 _There you go._ He shut his eyes, rubbing her arm. Tried not to think about how many times he’d probably have to do this for Ruby and Yang too.

After the tears and water ended, Qrow slowly got back to his feet, stifling a groan at the all-over ache from his muscles protesting for rest. Combined with that were the various noises around him which almost seemed too loud; someone’s yapping dog was particularly grating his nerves. He ran a hand over his burning eyes, unsure how he was even still conscious at this point. “Hey, I’m going to take a look around. Maybe find-”

“Qrow!”

_Holy shit._

He whirled around, seeing his brother-in-law pushing his way through the crowd, not entirely sure he wasn’t hallucinating until the other was right in front of him, gathering him up in a crushing hug.

“Thank Gods you’re alright!”

It took Qrow a few moments to realize he wasn’t even touching the ground anymore. Freaken’ brute. “Well,” He drawled, “Other than the ribs you just broke, yeah.”

“Oh, uh.” Tai set him back on his feet, saying sheepishly, “Sorry. It’s just, when Bart said you guys were here-” He abruptly trailed off and when he spoke again, it came out a little brokenly, “Where are the girls?”

Qrow took in the lines of stress in his best friend’s face, the haggard appearance that implied he’d probably run himself ragged to get here – because of course he did – and the fear that paled his skin and dilated his eyes, and replied, “They’re resting right now. They’re both going to make a full recovery.”

He tried and failed to not feel guilty when Tai sagged in relief, taking his words as gospel. His follow up question made things immensely harder, “What happened?”

He hesitated, glancing back at Weiss. She wasn’t paying them much mind, absently combing her hand over Zwei’s back as he sat beside her. She looked minutes away from dozing off. Still. “We should talk somewhere else.”

Thankfully, Tai caught the hint, and followed after him down the alley and around the back of the building. Privacy was laughable at this point, even the back fields filled with people laying in the grass or hiding under the shade of trees. He made due with what little they had between two transport trucks, leaning back against the metal framework and running a hand over his face. “What’s the last thing you saw?”

Tai shook his head. “Nothing after the Nevermore broke into the stadium. Panic settled into Patch real fast.” That wasn’t surprising – most people living on the small island had family in Vale. “By the time we’d gotten everyone relocated to the center of town and the Grimm under control, the CCT system was already down. There were rumors going ‘round that Atlas started attacking.”

“It’s not… entirely false. Someone hacked Jimmy’s machines and confiscated his flagship. They certainly made a convincing show out of it all. The casualty counts are climbing higher every hour. Hundreds are injured. And as for Oz… he’s missing, at best. And at worst…” He trailed off, his jaw clenching tightly as he looked away.

“Even if he is, we both know he’s too stubborn to actually die.” Tai said.

“Guess that’s one way of putting it.” He chuckled bitterly. “To make matters even better, all the ruckus woke up an Alpha Prime. Take a look.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out his scroll and flipping it to the last shot he had taken before leaving the courtyard, handing it over.

Blue eyes scanned over the screenshot of the large stone dragon curled around what remained of Beacon’s CCT tower. Confusion twisted his frown. “What…?”

“Ruby did that.” Tai gaped at him as he continued, “I don’t think I need to explain how.”

“Are you **_sure?_** ”

Qrow sighed. “We knew it was only a matter of time before she used that power. If there was ever a time to do it, it was now.” He took his scroll as it was given back to him. “Her aura’s recovering. She’s unconscious, but doc says she’s stable and vitals are all good.”

His friend ran a hand over his forehead, teetered between apprehension and happiness. “Okay. Alright, well, that’s good at least. We can deal with the rest… later.” The way he said the last word sounded more like ‘never’. “What about Yang?”

He sucked in a sharp breath, unsure how to even begin. “She’s, going to be fine but…”

“…But?”

“She went,” He tried again, stumbling over his words, “Went to go help her friend. Got in a fight – not really sure what happened – but the bastard just, he cut-”

The way Tai’s face was shifting with anxiety had him turning away because it was too agonizingly familiar to the last time he’d ever given bad news to him – _they were fourteen years younger, Summer’s white cloak was draped over his shoulder. He was struggling to talk, couldn’t get the words out, couldn’t breathe as everything choked up inside, Tai was shouting at him, his hand bruising as it held his arm –_ in a tight grasp, calling his name softly.

Softly?

When he looked at him, Qrow was able to see his friend’s concern through the blurriness in his vision as he choked out, “I should have been there.”

This time, when Tai dragged him in for a hug, he fell willingly into it, letting himself be ‘not okay’ for a little while.

* * *

All her life, Yang had been likened to things that were lively. A sunny dragon, ferocious and bright. A firecracker, explosive and brilliant. A bombshell blonde, beautiful and dangerous. The words became like tinder, igniting her spirit, until it felt like it was inextinguishable. When her semblance was discovered, it seemed only further proof for the outlook of those around her, until she could see nothing else. Thus, she gave herself her own moniker – a forever flame, unstoppable and indestructible. And that, more than anything, was who she felt she was and would always be.

But now?

For the first time in her life, Yang felt numb. Hollow, like the aftermath of a home overwhelmed by a blaze, nothing left but blackened, skeletal remains, barely standing. Her inner fire was gone; or perhaps, in the end, it was what finally turned on her and scorched her from the inside out before abandoning her.

Just like everything else.

She curled up a little tighter, unable to find much comfort on the linoleum floor, her uncle’s borrowed cape doing little to ward away the chill settled deep in her skin. This had been a facility meant for keeping pills, not patients. There just weren’t enough couches or cots to be found, and what could be spared was given only to the critically injured. Apparently losing a limb didn’t quite make the cut.

A few feet from her, Ruby slept, pale but breathing, her own hood having been tucked around her. Other then the unexplained coma, she seemed to be fine. And when she did awaken, she would bounce back just fine. Would probably be searching out another academy within the month, driven by dreams still possible.

Not like Yang.

Yang, who didn’t even know where her life could go from here.

Yang, who didn’t even know what her life would _be_ anymore.

She shut her eyes, blocking out the sight of her little sister, not really understanding the curtail of feeling winding its way into her heart. One that left her chest tight and her mind lost in an ill reverie in which she and Ruby were laying opposite one another, as if their positions could be as easily flipped as a two-sided coin.

It was wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

But what was right anymore?

 _Certainly not me._ She thought hysterically, the smile twisting her lips into an ugly grimace. Wanting to scream. Or smack her head against the floor and knock herself out for awhile.

Just as Yang was truly starting to entertain such an idea, something slightly weighted fell onto her legs. She peeled her eyes open, seeing a gray jacket there, the left sleeve spilling along the ground, revealing the gold, heart-shaped patch on the upper arm. Her gaze drifted up to the person who had given it to her. “…Dad?”

“Sorry. Did I wake you, little dragon?” Her father said, and though his voice was soft and loving, it crushed her with its warmth.

She shook her head, tugging Qrow’s cape closer and wishing it actually held the power of invisibility, much like she once pretended it did when she was younger.

Her dad brushed some of her hair aside, continuing in that same, gentle tone, “How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

Yang just continued to shake her head at every question, burrowing even further into her fabric shield. Afraid to look at him. Afraid to speak. Because she knew exactly what was going to happen if she did. Could feel the rise of it in her throat. The burn of it in her eyes.

He hovered over her for several long moments, maybe waiting for something, but when she refused to move, he gave a near-silent sigh. She felt the light kiss he dropped against her head. “I’ll let you sleep then. We can talk when you feel up to it.”

As she heard him getting to his feet, she thought she’d feel only a dim sense of relief.

So, Yang was shocked by the whip of panic that snapped at her, giving her strength she didn’t know so had as she pulled herself upright with one hand. The cape fell across her lap, the dark scarlet red matching the stains in her clothes. “Wait, dad!”

He froze, looking back at her.

 “Don’t go.” She croaked out, her voice small and scared as if she were seven again, still shaking in her room even long after her uncle had brought her and Ruby back home from her stupid, reckless quest to find yet another person who had walked away from her.

And like he had all those years ago when she made the same plea, her dad came back to her, his arms as strong and comforting as ever as they embraced her. “Never.” His fingers ran gently through her hair. “I’d never leave you.”

She sobbed against his chest, feeling safe for the first time in hours.

* * *

A tickle along her leg awoke Weiss, her head feeling almost too heavy as she lifted it from Zwei’s soft, furry side. She peered down as she felt the sensation climbing towards her knee – only to suck in the sharp yelp that almost escaped her, hurriedly flicking off the brown spider. She watched it scuttle away, but when a cold nose pressed against her arm she turned her attention to the dog, reaching up to pet his head.

She scanned the area, trying to regain her bearings and realized she was still in the alley – had she really fallen asleep outside?

A glance to her left told her she wasn’t the only one. Ruby’s uncle was leaning back against the wall, chin dropped against his chest as he slept. He stirred almost immediately though when she made a move to stand, running a hand over his face with a low groan. “What time is it?”

“About five, maybe?” Weiss guessed, folding her legs underneath her and smoothing out the length of her tattered and dirtied skirt over her thighs in stray hope it would make her more presentable. If the huntsman noticed, he certainly didn’t care. He gave an incoherent mumble, head thunking back against the wall. He was so… uncouth. She could see why Winter had such distaste.

Yet, despite his faults and rough attitude, he also had an oddly kind heart that reminded her of Klein. She hoped her sister wouldn’t think too poorly of her for being a little fond.

She stared down at her lap, cupping open her hands, Zwei taking the invitation to shove his face between them. As she ran her thumbs along the dog’s snout, she asked, “What’s going to happen to everyone now?”

“The first priority is evacuating everyone to safe zones. It ain’t the easiest task to relocate that many at once though.” Qrow answered.

“What about the school?”

“A job like that won’t be a walk in the park. We’re going to need Huntsman. A lot of them.” He sighed, sliding down a few inches. “Unfortunately, when shit hits the fan like this, the whole world goes belly up with panic. It’s going to be awhile before things have calmed enough to gain the forces needed to retake Beacon.”

Weiss pondered that quietly but knew inherently she wouldn’t be permitted to join the ranks. She was still just a student, after all. (It was beside the point that she’d never be allowed to leave Atlas ever again, once whomever her father had surely sent finally located her.) “Where are you going to go?”

“For now, back to Patch. Not really sure how Tai got here - though, knowing that idiot, he swam all the way here.” He chuckled. It was a quiet, contained noise. “Anyways, it’ll be a lot easier to get Yang and Ruby home with his help.” Qrow angled his head her way. “You’re welcome to come with us. Tai certainly won’t mind an extra kid hanging around.”

She thought of the man who had the same smile as Ruby and Yang and enough kindness to pause on his way to seeing his children, halting his own tragedy just long enough to kneel down and ask her how she was doing, and imagined that no, he probably wouldn’t. Nor would her friends. But still. “I don’t want to impose.”

“Kid, if I thought that would be a problem, I wouldn’t have asked.” He pulled off the wall, working out a kink in his shoulder. “Though, guess you got your own family in good ol’ Atlas to get back to. Fancy-schmancy mansion too. Guess a little cabin in the woods is a step down from that.”

“I’m sure my father is worried.” Weiss said, using the same infliction she would at a dinner party when she was trying to convince the other guests that she was having a wonderful time. She dared a peek at the huntsman, unable to read his expression. “Thank you, though.”

His eyes darted across her face, his lips pressing together in a tight frown that told her nothing, before he sighed and got to his feet. “Well, it’ll be awhile before they can get you shipped back. Why don’t we scrounge up some food and check on the girls?”

“That sounds agreeable.” She too got to her feet. Zwei shook himself out as he trotted beside her ankles.

Qrow snorted. “’Agreeable’? Can’t you just say ‘good’?”

“Not on your life,” She replied with equal sass.

“I’m beginning to see why Ruby likes you.”

Despite the long, awful hours she’d had to endure through, somehow that was what finally cracked a smile on her face. It didn’t get to survive long as they hit the streets, the crowd stifling, sorrow still thick in the air. Yet the moment, brief as it was, did remind her that there would be something beyond all the bleakness and pain.

She clasped her hands in front of her, fingers interweaving together in a firm hold, determined to grasp a better tomorrow just as securely.


End file.
